While it’s exciting that certain fruits and vegetables can improve insulin sensitivity, the reverse is also true—some common foods can increase insulin resistance, slowing down metabolism and making cravings worse, too.
According to new research from Germany, those effects kick in faster and last longer than we assumed.
? SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week ?
Published in Nature Metabolism, the study examined how diet influenced insulin response in 27 men aged 19 to 27, 18 of whom ate an additional 1,500 of unhealthy food daily while the remaining 11 continued eating normally. The researchers then measured brain insulin response, liver fat, body composition and reward-based learning to see how the diet changes impacted their brains.
Related: Eating This Can Boost Insulin Resistance in Just 4 Weeks
As for what the unhealthy food habit in question is? The 18 participants ate the extra 1,500 calories from stereotypical junk food, meaning ultra-processed, high-calorie foods like cookies, chips, candy and fast food. And guess what? It altered their brain chemistry almost immediately. Here's what happened.
In just five days of loading up on junk food, the participants' brains' responses to insulin—which helps control hunger and energy use—changed. At first, the brain became more reactive to food rewards, like junk food cravings.
But once participants stopped overeating and went back to their normal diets—which they did for a week—the brain’s insulin response remained weak in areas linked to memory and decision-making.
Related: What to Never Eat With Insulin Resistance, Doctors Explain
Liver fat increased.
Those five days also led to an increase in liver fat without weight gain, suggesting that the liver wasn't processing sugar and fat as efficiently. This can lead to higher blood sugar levels, increased risk of insulin resistance and eventually conditions like Type 2 diabetes.
Cravings became stronger.
Finally, the study also found that the few days of junk food altered the brain's reward system, meaning participants didn't enjoy rewards as much but felt punishments more strongly. In food language, this means junk food cravings can become stronger, healthy food can seem less appealing and it can become harder to stop unhealthy eating habits.
Over time, this can lead to overeating, weight gain and a slower metabolism, especially since insulin response is simultaneously impaired.
Related: The #1 Food That Helps With Insulin Resistance, According to Dietitians Who Specialize in Diabetes
Why Does This Mean For Me?
This study proves that even a few days of eating ultra-processed, high-calorie foods can have long-term health effects, potentially increasing liver fat, disrupting brain function, slowing metabolism and increasing fat storage, to name a few. It can also make it harder for your body to regulate hunger and cravings, and these effects could last longer than the time you spent eating the food itself.
In the case of the study, for example, effects lasted for at least two days longer than the time they ate junk food, and possibly even longer than the study measured.
Thus, if you're trying to maintain both a healthy brain and metabolism, this research suggests limiting junk food is a smart first step—not just for weight control, but for long-term brain health, too.
Up Next:
Related: Eating in This Order Could Have Similar Benefits to Ozempic
Sources
"A short-term, high-caloric diet has prolonged effects on brain insulin action in men." Nature Metabolism. Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( This Common Habit Can Weaken Your Metabolism in Just Five Days )
Also on site :
- Terrorist plot foiled in Russia’s Kaliningrad – FSB
- Old Navy Is Selling a 'Very Comfortable' Mini Dress for Just $17, and Shoppers Say It’s 'Perfect' for Summer
- Your Next 3 Years: What Happens When Saturn Enters Aries